Mail-collecting apparatus.



J. A. STEINMETZ, MAIL COLLECTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.1G, 1909.

956,743. Patented May 3, 1910.

JOSEPH A. BTEINHETZ, OF PHILADELPHIA. PENNSYLVANIA.

HAIL-COLLECTING AIPARATUS.

Bpecicatiou of Lettera Patent.

Patented May 3, 1910.

Application led October 16, 1909. Serial No. 522,927.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. STEI'N- Mn'rz, a citizen of the UnitedStates, resid ing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia andState of Pennsylvania, have 1nvented certain Improvements inMaiLQollecting Apparatus, of which the following is a specilieation.

My invention is an improved apparatus providing means for the automaticcollection by an elevator or traveling carriage of mail deposited on theseveral iioors of a building or in several positions along the path ofthe traveling carriage.

In the preferred construction, stationary boxes of peculiar characterare placed on the several floors of a building, against or in thegrating forming the front of the elevater shaft, and a box, adapted foropening and receiving the contents of the stationary boxes, is set inthe front wall or grating of the elevator car.

In the drawings, Figure l shows my improved apparatus in conjunctionwith a front elevation of an elevator shaft, and Fig. 2 is a transversesectional elevation taken through my apparatus.

The construction illustrated comprises an elevator shaft 1 which passesthrough several Hoors 2 and is closed by the gratings 3 containing doors4:. The grating on each floor has ixed thereto a letter box 5 having aninlet 5 and an inclined bottoni 5". The bottom of the box is connectedto the grating by a hinge 6 and the top is connected by a hasp 7 thereonthrough which passes an eye 8 fixed to the grating, a lock 9 fixing thehasp upon the eye. This box 5 is provided with a stationary way 10,extending downwardly from its top, for guiding a sliding door 11 whichis mechanically elevated to open the bottom aperture 5c ot the box anddrops by gravity to close it. The door 11 has fixed to the lower partthereotl the long arm l2 of an L-shaped spring having a short arm 13which extends through an aperture 14 in the door, the angle of thespring normally extending outwardly from the door.

The front grating 15 of the elevator car has set therein a letter box 16having a part 17, disposed between the arts 3 and 15, so that in movinupward 1t will engage the arm 13 and li t the door 11. The box 16 isalso provided with the opening 18 in its top which is adapted toregister with the open bottom of the box 5 and to pass the contentselevated to open the box 5, and the door again drops after the box 16has been moved past the spring. In the downward movement of the elevatorcar, the box 16 strikes the member 12 of the spring and the latter ismoved out of the way Without moving the closed door. Mail is deliveredto the stationary boxes 5 through the apertures 5 and it can also bedeposited in the movable box 16 through an aperture 16B, an apron 16IJdepending from the top of the box 16 directing the mail downward so thatit cannot be shot through the aperture 18. A door 2l, carried by thehinge 22, closes the bottom of the box 16, the door having the hasp 23which is engaged by the eye 24 on the box and held thereon hy the lock25.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a stationary receptacle, andmeans comprising an elevator ear and a receptacle movable therewithwhereby said stationary receptacle is opened and discharges its contentsinto said movable receptacle.

2. In apparatus of the character described,

a statimiary receptacle having an outlet, a

door for ccntrolllng said outlet, and means comprising an elevator carand a receptacle movable therewith whereby said door is opened and thecontents of said stationary receptacle is discharged into said movablereceptacle.

3. In apparat-us of the character described, a stationary box having anaperture adapted for delivering mail thereto and an-apertnre adapted fordischargin said mail, mechanism for controlling said last namedaperturc., and means comprising an elevator enr and a receptacle movabletherewith whereby said mechanism is operated and the col'itcnts ot' saidstationary box delivered to said movable receptacle.

4. In nppnrntusof the character described, a stutiolnlry box having anopening, a sliding door adapted for closing said opening, nl deviceengaging said door and movable relatively thereto, und means comprisinga movable rccol'ltuclo whereby said device is caused to open said doorin one direction of travel ol said movable receptacle.

5. 1n npparatusof the character described the combination with anelevator car ot several boxes disposed on dili'erent floors of abuilding along the path of travel ot' said elevator car and meansoperated by the movement of said car whereby said boxes are caused todeliver their contents to said ear.

G. In apparatus of' the character described, the combination with anelevator car and a receptacle carried thereby, of several boxes withautomatically closed outlets disposed on ditl'erent floors of a buildingalong the )ath of travel of said car, and means Where y said car causessaid outlets to be opened and the contents of said boxes to be deflvered.

T. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with anelevator car, of

several boxes disposed ou sevcrnl iloors of a building.; along the pathof travel of said cnr, sliding doors adapted for automatically closingthe respective boxes, a receptacle car ried by said ear, und meanswhereby said doors are automatically opened and the contents of saidboxes delivered to said receptacle. 8, In apparatus of the characterdescribed, 1n combination with an elevator car, several boxes disposedalong the path of travel of sald car, an automatically closing door foreach of said boxes, an angular' spring fixed to each of said doors, andmea-ns carried by said car whereby said spring .is engaged to open saiddoor and is automatically disengaged to permit said door to close.

1n witness whereof I have hereunto set my name this 15th d ay of OctoberA. D. 1909.

JOSEPH A. STEINMETZ. Witnessesz Romina' JAMES EABLEY, Jos. G. DENNY, Jr.

